1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a mosquito net apparatus and its method of use to protect humans from insect bites, and more particularly to a portable mosquito net apparatus that is easily carried in a person's traveling bag or suitcase and quickly assembled and disassembled.
2. Background of the Prior Art
In today's international business climate, people are traveling to many different countries to do business. Furthermore, due to the relative ease of long distance travel, more tourists than ever are spending their vacations in countries throughout the world. However, in some of these countries insect populations are not well controlled and the occurrence of insect related human disease is high. Accommodations for people traveling in these countries may not adequately guard against insect infiltration into living quarters.
The female "Anopheles" mosquito is of particular concern because it often carries the plasmodium protozoa, four species of which infect human beings (the two most serious being "P.vivax" and "P. falci parum"), which when transmitted to humans via a mosquito bite causes malaria. Malaria is a disease characterized by cycles of debilitating chills, fever and sweating, that sometimes leads to death. If untreated, the disease can remain with an infected individual for his or her life, causing disease symptoms to return many times. Obviously, individuals traveling in countries with high incidences of malaria require effective protection against this disease. Taking a malaria prophylactic before traveling to such countries and over a substantial period of time can sometimes be an effective deterrent against plasmodium infection. However, malaria prophylactics are not 100% effective, and some individuals are unable to take them due to adverse side effects. Therefore, other means for preventing malaria and other insect transmitted diseases are needed.
Mosquito nets, if used properly, can provide an enclosed and substantially insect-free space, and are typically used to protect people while sleeping in bed from being bitten by mosquitos. There is a large amount of art related to mosquito nets and mosquito net devices. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 87,589 of Platt discloses a mosquito net device having a rigid single pole with a lower end fixedly attached to the bed frame head. A loop structure is attached to the upper end of the mosquito net device to better drape the netting around a bed. The mosquito net includes a series of rings arranged longitudinally along the net, which are also mounted along the pole.
Also, U.S. Pat. No. 1,816 of Palmer discloses a single rigid pole attached at its lower end to a base that rests on the floor underneath the bed. Other examples of patents that disclose mosquito net devices used in connection with beds are U.S. Pat. Nos. 180,732; 364,415; 503,954; 665,126; 1,565,191; 3,751,741 and 4,884,306.
It would be highly desirable for people traveling to countries with a high degree of mosquito infestation to bring along a mosquito net apparatus that is collapsible into a compact form that can be stored in a small travel bag or suitcase, and that can be easily assembled (and disassembled) and attached to a bed. None of the references identified above, or mosquito net devices known in the art, include such desirable features.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a compact collapsible mosquito net apparatus that is especially adapted to be carried in a traveling bag or suitcase.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable, compact, collapsible mosquito net apparatus including a base that is sandwiched between a mattress and a mattress support surface and a single pole extending therefrom for attachment of a mosquito net in a position over the mattress.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a portable mosquito net apparatus that can be easily and quickly assembled and disassembled.